Film and cameras that are all in one, commonly referred to as single-use or one-time-use cameras, have recently become well known. Typically, the one-time-use camera is a simple point-and-shoot type comprising a plastic, inner, main body part which supports a fixed-focus taking lens, a film metering mechanism including a rotatably supported metering sprocket, a manual film advance thumbwheel, a single-blade shutter, a manual shutter release button, a frame counter for indicating the number of exposures remaining for picture-taking, a direct see-through viewfinder, and possibly an electronic flash unit. Plastic front and rear cover parts often house the main body part between them to complete the camera assembly, and the rear cover part connects to the main body part and/or to the front cover part to make the main body part light-tight. A decorative cardboard outer box contains the camera assembly and has respective openings for the taking lens, the shutter release button, the film advance thumbwheel, the viewfinder, the frame counter, and a flash emission window.
At the manufacturer, the main body part is loaded with a 12, 24, or 36 exposure 35 mm film cartridge, and the front and rear cover parts are connected to the main body part and/or to one another to complete the camera assembly and to make the main body part light-tight. Then, as disclosed in prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,649, issued Nov. 27, 1990, an exposed end of a film take-up spool in the main body part is rotated to factory prewind substantially the entire length of the unexposed filmstrip from the cartridge shell onto the take-up spool. Lastly, the outer box is placed on the camera assembly.
After the photographer takes a picture with the one-time-use camera, he or she manually rotates the thumbwheel to rotate a cartridge spool inside the cartridge shell to rewind the exposed frame into the cartridge shell. The rewinding movement of the filmstrip the equivalent of slightly more than one frame width rotates the metering sprocket, which is in engagement with the filmstrip, to decrement the frame counter to its next lower-numbered setting. When the maximum number of exposures available on the filmstrip are exposed and the filmstrip is completely rewound into the cartridge shell, the one-time-use camera is given to a photofinisher who tears the outer box off the camera unit, separates the rear cover part from the main body part, and removes the film cartridge with the filmstrip from the main body part. Then, he removes the filmstrip from the cartridge shell to develop the negatives and make prints for the customer, and he forwards the used camera parts to the manufacturer for recycling, i.e. remanufacture.
Typically, during original manufacture or recycling of the one-time-use camera, the film cartridge including a film leader protruding from the cartridge shell and the film take-up spool to which a leading end of the protruding film leader is attached are placed in respective chambers in the main body part. The protruding film leader is positioned over the metering sprocket to place one of a longitudinal series of edge perforations in the leader onto one of an annular series of peripheral teeth on the metering sprocket in order to engage the leader to the metering sprocket. Then, the rear cover part is fitted to the main body part to prevent the protruding film leader from becoming separated from the metering sprocket. Because of the inherent curl of the protruding film leader, the leader may tend to spring away from the metering sprocket before the rear cover part is fitted to the main body part. If the rear cover is fitted to the main body part with the protruding film leader separated from the metering sprocket, the one-time-use camera cannot be operated to take pictures.